Do As You Like
by Rei Minomiko
Summary: An introspection by Syaoran while he and Sakura were stuck inside the elevator...


Disclaimer: The fic is the only thing that's mine; characters aren't, unfortunately. All rights   
to this amazing anime belong to Clamp, Kodansha, yadda yadda yadda, so don't waste your time   
suing me! Your 'corporate bogeyman' won't get anything valuable from me, anyway, except for a   
handful of lousy college grades, some leftover cookie crumbs, a Pentel point 5 standard ball   
pen, and crumpled research papers.  
  
Author's Notes: This occurs during the elevator bit of "Sakura, Syaoran, and the Elevator".   
Gomen nasai, minna, if I haven't updated DESTINY yet! One of my best muses is on LOA, and the   
other three are refusing to cooperate. So I figured to upload a couple of my one-shots first   
before I force my God-forsaken talents to inspire me with SOMETHING for Destiny-Chapter Thirteen.  
*Sigh* I'm really sooo sorry, guys.  
  
Do As You Like by rei-chan  
  
My footsteps rang heavily across the hallways as I ran, my heart beating loudly in my ears as   
blood continually rushed up to my temples. Behind me I could hear 'that girl' calling out my   
name, telling me to stop and wait a while, but I didn't. I couldn't. Because I know in my   
heart that if I did stop to wait for them, I would soon be fighting the battle of wills whether   
to hug 'that girl', kiss her, or KILL her for confusing me this way.   
  
I reached the bank of elevators easily and pushed the down button, praying that it would open   
soon so that I could get away from 'that girl' and her shrill screaming. Why did I fall in love   
with a girl that loud, anyway? That last thought suddenly jerked my tired body back to attention. Huh? Now where did that come from?   
  
"What am I thinking?" I whispered to myself in a slightly panicked voice. Love? Fall in love?   
With 'that girl'? No way that would happen!  
  
But the gods were obviiously not listening to my frantic prayers. A few seconds later I heard her fast approaching footsteps, and the soft huffs of breath she was taking as she came closer. She had obviously ran after me to call me back.   
  
Now why did that thought suddenly made the hairs at the back of my neck stand up in excitement?  
  
"Geeze, Li-kun, you walk really fast!" I heard her comment as the elevator doors slid open. I   
immediately went in to hold the open button inside, and she followed me, still breathing a little  
heavily. I sneaked a glance at her out of the corner of my eye, and immediately wished that I   
hadn't. Stray wisps of her brown hair hung around her face, which was a little flushed with   
exertion, but her green eyes were sparkling like amethyst stones glittering under the light,   
clear and bright.  
  
God, she was beautiful...  
  
To my utmost horror, I found myself falling for her even more...  
  
I shook my head fiercely even as I went on pressing the button. I could hear her calling out to   
Daidouji and to Hiirigizawa to hurry up, but I was too busy trying to calm my jackrabitting   
heart. What is she doing to me? Why do I feel so confused and nervous whenever I'm around her?   
WHY?! My thoughts were spinning wildly in panic that I didn't have the time to react when IT happened. Before I was even aware of what was going on, the elevator doors had already slid shut in front of my face.   
  
Now, if I hadn't been so preoccupied, I could have done something to prevent the door from   
closing in on us, like try to hold it open with my katana. But my instinct and logic were   
clearly not at home. They were both driven out terrified by a certain girl named Kinomoto   
Sakura.  
  
"Li, please try the elevator phone to contact someone." I heard her tell me in a terrified voice   
from behind. I glanced briefly at her and noticed that she was digging around in her backpack. In a few moments, she held out her little pink celphone. "I'm going to try and call somebody." She began to dial.  
  
I forcefully tore my gaze away from her and punched the call button on the elevator pad.   
Nothing. "It's not working, Kinomoto. Communication's dead." I told her, carefully avoiding   
looking directly at her face, at her eyes. I knew that if I make that mistake, it would be all   
over.  
  
I would never be able to stop falling for her.  
  
"My phone's not working either." I heard her tell me. I made the mistake of looking at her when   
I heard the slight catch in her voice. Her eyes were tearing up, and her chin was quivering a   
little with suppressed panic. I felt a sudden wave of protectiveness rush from inside me,   
making me almost dizzy.   
  
I swallowed the lump in my throat before replying. "I'm sure Daidouji and Hiirigizawa are   
looking for help right now. Let's just wait a little, ok?" My voice came out a little   
off-handed and arrogant. Go me. She doesn't really need to find out that the idea of staying   
with her in this small, enclosed space was giving me the heebie-jeebies.   
  
She looked at me and smiled, and I almost melted into a little puddle. "Hai." She said quietly,   
looking down at her hands.  
  
Damn, her smile always had that effect on me.  
  
We fell in a pensive silence, which gave me time to just look at her. She had a contemplating   
look on her face, her eyebrows scrunched up and all that. She was even biting her lower lip a   
little. My whole body almost started convulsing at this sight.   
  
Shit.   
  
Why, oh why, did we have to get stuck in this damn elevator TOGETHER?  
  
I quickly averted my eyes and looked at my shoes, as if they were the most interesting things   
that had ever appeared on the planet. Don't look at her, Syaoran, don't. You'll just make   
everything worse...  
  
I couldn't help it. I looked up at her again, and realized that there was no stopping my love for her.  
  
I never knew exactly when I started feeling this strange around her. It could have been before   
we fought Yue, or the day that Hiirigizawa showed up, or when I helped her by using the Time   
card. I don't really know. All I remember was that every time I look at her, everything inside   
me just twists up and around, leaving me breathless. I've never felt anything like this in my   
whole life, not even with Yukito-san, yet, in some unknown level, this, this confusion, I don't   
know, it just feels RIGHT, for some reason. I hastened to look down again when I noticed her   
eyes dart sideways to look at me, my face flaming. Yeah, real smart, Syaoran, ogle at the   
unsuspecting girl. It's a good thing she's completely clueless, or else she would have figured   
everything out by now.  
  
Daidouji had asked me once if I felt something for her best friend. I was hesitant at first,   
because knowing how close those two actually were, there was a slight chance that Daidouji might   
slip and spill everything to Kinomoto. I couldn't risk that happening. Turns out she already   
knew, after all. That made me panic at first because if she had noticed it, then Kinomoto might   
have known about it already! Daidouji assured me, though, that her friend was completely dense   
when it comes to those things, and I was able to breathe again. It's not like I wasn't planning   
on telling 'that girl' what I feel. Give me some credit for sensitivity. I just can't figure   
out when...and how...  
  
I jerked my head up at her direction when I heard her quiet sniffling. A few tears were already   
forming in her eyes, and she was biting her lip again. She was going to start crying any moment   
now, and I have to do something to stop that. For a moment I considered coming over to give her   
a hug and tell her that everything was going to be fine, but that would definitely blow my cover   
big time. So I did the only rational thing I could think of and took out one of my ofudas to   
light a small fire, since it was getting a little too dark in there, anyway.   
  
"We have light now, so please don't cry." I told her quietly, staring at the flickering flames   
I was holding in my hand. I saw her nod her head. For a second I entertained the thought of   
telling her how I really feel about her, and I was just about to muster some courage to do so   
when I saw her produce a handkerchief from-somewhere.   
  
"Don't you want to sit down?" She asked me as she bent over to lay the little cloth on the floor.   
I tensed up "You'll get tired if you stand up too long."  
  
That stunned me, actually. Getting tired was the least of my worries right now, considering all   
the things that I have been going through for the past few weeks, but what good would it do me   
to argue? She was just making a suggestion, after all...  
  
I started to sit down, but jumped back up when I heard her voice.  
  
"You'll get your clothes dirty if you sit on the floor. Sit on the handkerchief with me."  
  
Whoa! No way, Saku---Kinomoto! That is definitely NOT a good idea. I wanted to tell her that,   
but to my utter shock, my voice box had already produced a response on its own. "Eh?"  
  
She looked at me and smiled again, patting the space beside her as she settled down. My throat   
constricted. My brain was screaming for me not to move, but all my muscles seemed to be working   
on autopilot because the next thing I knew, I was settled down next to her on the small square   
piece of handkerchief. My face was so hot with embarrassment, and I silently thanked the   
darkness for hiding it. I didn't want her to get any ideas about what I felt. At least, not   
now...  
  
We sat silently together, me trying my hardest not to look and she fumbling for something in her   
bag, I couldn't help but revel in the feeling of being this close to her. We were sitting so   
close to each other that I can feel her warmth mingling with mine. At any other time and with   
any other person, it would have made me pretty damn uncomfortable. But this was Kinomoto, and,   
well, she wasn't just anyone, so...Subtly, I shifted a little closer to her.  
  
"Here."   
  
I was startled away from my thoughts when I heard her voice. I glanced sideways at her, and saw   
her grinning at me and holding out a tissue with a bear shaped cookie in it.  
  
I looked at the little thing almost lost amidst the tissue paper. "This is..."  
  
She smiled at me again, the intensity it held was so strong that I almost smiled back at her.   
Almost. "The truth is," she narrated, absently fiddling with her thumbs as a light blush   
tinged her cheeks, "Yukito-san came over for dinner last night."  
  
The whole world seemed to crash over my head when I heard her say his name. I've always known   
that Kinomoto had a huge crush on him. It didn't matter much to me before, back when I thought   
that I had a crush on the snow rabbit as well, but now...  
  
She went on talking, but I didn't hear a word that she said. My mind was filled with images of   
Yukito and Kinomoto talking and laughing together in the Kinomoto house. I saw in my mind's   
eye Yukito giving Kinomoto cookies, her eyes shining brightly as she smiled up at him, and he   
smiling back...  
  
My heart constricted painfully in my chest.  
  
"-giving it to you."  
  
I looked back at her again, feeling a little guilty for not having paid attention to her rambling.   
She was holding up the bear towards me, smiling brightly like always. Instead of feeling   
flattered that she was willing to give up her cookie for me, it only made me feel worse. The   
cookie came from him...  
  
"He gave that to you. You should eat it." God, I hope the bitterness in my voice wasn't that   
obvious...  
  
She stared at me for a little while, then said in a cheerful tone of voice. "Okay, then.   
We'll just split it." She gave me the other half of the cookie. I watched her take a bite of   
her piece. "This cookie Yukito-san made is delicious!" she cried out excitedly, her eyes   
dancing.   
  
I winced. Ouch. That stung. I wonder if she would say the exact same thing when I give her   
cookies...  
  
As I watched her eat, I couldn't get the heavy feeling in my chest to leave. Sure, he might be   
a hell of a lot older than her, but they have known each other since forever. How can I possibly   
expect to compete with HIM? Hmm...wait a minute. Compete? It's not like there would actually be a competition, Syaoran! You know as well as the next guy who she would choose when it comes to that...  
  
My ofuda suddenly went out, and darkness descended upon us. I felt her small body tense up   
beside me and instinctively leaned in a little closer in order for her to feel safe and that I   
was here. She had always been such a sissy. I closed my eyes briefly to cherish the feeling.   
A tremor shook the whole elevator, and the lights suddenly blinked on. I heaved a small sigh of   
disappointment as I felt the elevator floor suddenly move.  
  
Stupid technician guys they have here, ruining the finest moment in a boy's life...  
  
"Oh, good, it's moving!" Kinomoto exclaimed, and stood up hurriedly from the floor. She walked   
a little ways forward. By that time I was beginning to notice the unnatural movement the   
elevator was making. Shouldn't it be moving upward or downward only? I was in the process of   
trying to figure out what in the world was happening when I felt the elevator tilt to the right.   
Eyes wide, I glanced at her. She was slowly, ever so slowly slipping towards the gaping void   
that had appeared suddenly at the far side of the elevator. I moved forward to help her,   
trying in vain to catch hold of her outstretched hand as the elevator tilted more and she   
slipped further. My heart was thudding so loudly in my chest that it was almost deafening, as   
I struggled to reach her on time, before she fell into that void and...and...  
  
No! My mind screamed, even as I strained my arm forward to reach her, even as she started to   
slip down into the hole. No, Sakura, no! Don't leave me, please!  
  
I reached the end of the void and leaned forward, trying to reach her hand, but she slipped,   
and fell in. Time seemed to slow down as I watched her fall, her green eyes wide and frightened   
as she went deeper and deeper. I felt so helpless. What was I going to do now? I have to save   
her!I have to...  
  
I closed my eyes tightly and opened my mouth to yell. Yell at her to come back and stop scaring   
the wits out of me. Yell at her to come back and at least give me time to tell her how I   
really feel about her and then follow her in her downward descent, where I could be with her.  
  
"SAKURA!!!"   
  
My voice was tinged with desperation. I looked down, expecting her to pop out any moment now   
and yell "Gotcha!" or something like that. Nothing.   
  
She was gone.  
  
I dropped my gaze down to the floor and took deep, panting breaths, fighting back the tears that   
were threatening to fall from my own eyes as I carefully avoided looking down the void, where   
she had...  
  
No. I don't want to think about it.  
  
I don't want to EVER think about it.  
  
"Li-kun?"  
  
I looked up in surprise. There she was, still in one piece, looking as beautiful as ever as she   
sat on top of the Float, grinning shakily. I couldn't believe my eyes. She's safe. Sakura's   
safe...I repeated the words over and over my head in a calming litany as I continued staring at   
her, completely transfixed...  
  
"I used the Float card. Hoe?" she explained to me, blinking her breathtaking eyes.  
  
Realizing what I had almost lost, I stood up, still a little shaky from fear, and pulled her   
tight in my arms. I closed my eyes and rested my face against her hair, little tremors of   
nervousness still wracking my whole body every once in a while. I'm so sorry I wasn't able to   
help you, Sakura. Please forgive me...My mind whispered to her as I held her tight, trying in   
vain to express what I couldn't say in words.  
  
I heard my hoarse voice whispering against her hair. "I'm so glad, Sakura. I'm so glad."  
  
~ 0 ~  
  
I pushed open the door to my room and walked in, tired but happy. The minute I stepped in, a   
high, shrill sound permeated the air, causing me to almost jump to about a foot in the air.   
Where did that come from? I grumbled to myself as I looked around the room warily. It sounded   
almost like my cousin Meilin when having a bad day.  
  
It took me a few moments to realize that it was my phone, the phone that Daidouji had   
oh-so-kindly provided for me. Sheesh, why am I such a basket case today, anyway?   
  
I blushed as Sakura's face flashed into my mind. Now, there's your answer, Syaoran.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hello? Is this Li-kun?"  
  
Sakura. What the--I stammered a little in answering. "Uh, ah, yeah." Oh, real, smooth, Li.   
Very impressive.  
  
"I really want to thank you for today."  
  
I could feel my face and neck heating up as I thought about how I had acted towards her in the   
elevator. Was she thinking about the embrace? Oh, please, let Daidouji be right when she said   
that Sakura is way too obtuse when it comes to emotions(1)...  
  
"I-I didn't do much, really." I replied instead, cautiously. Please be right on this one,   
Daidouji!  
  
"You know, today when we were in the elevator, and you called me 'Sakura', it made me happy."  
  
I could tell my face was going through the entire crimson color spectrum.  
  
She went on talking, oblivious to my embarrassment. Probably because she couldn't see me...  
"It made me feel as though we've become good friends. I was wondering, can I call you Syaoran?"  
  
Good friends...If you only knew, Sakura, if you only knew...  
  
"Er, do as you like."  
  
"Okay! I'll see you tomorrow, then, Syaoran-kun!"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
I heard her hang up. My heart considerably lighter, I pushed the sliding doors open to the   
veranda and went out, feeling the wind brush past my face as I stared out at the horizon.   
"Do as you like, Sakura-chan. Do as you like." I whispered softly in the air as I leaned out   
the balcony.   
  
In the falling darkness, seemingly out of their own will, I felt my lips curve into a satisfied   
smile.  
  
==owari==  
FOOTNOTE:  
  
1. Line lifted from Katsu no Miko's greatgreatGREAT GWING fic Acherontia Atropos. For all of you Gwing otakus out there who haven't read this, check it out!  
  
Like it? Hate it? Let me know! 


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